Are We Willing To Sacrifice To Aid Education?

School started Thursday to end the frenzied ballet of preparation and anxiety that builds with the summer's first back-to-school sale. Football is not far off. Neither are elections.

I got my first look this week at the field for the two School Board seats being contested. It was a little underwhelming -- and it looked like some folks (you know who you are) in the sparse crowd were taking an after-lunch nap during the festivities sponsored by the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce. As one of this week's media interrogators, I refuse to take the blame for candidates who can't inspire some passion about education. Give those in the audience credit for showing up. If education is so vital, why didn't more people check out those seeking to shape policy for our school system?

Is education truly at the top of our list? Or do we give it lip service until it's time to write the check? If you care, study and vote in the Sept. 10 primary and the Nov. 5 general election.

Creating a world-class education system is not a bargain you find in a thrift store. It has to be built, and that construction takes community participation that goes beyond the voting booth. The question for residents is twofold -- making sure leaders are spending our money wisely and deciding if we want to pay the true cost of giving our children the very best education possible.

It's one thing for me to want a $2,000 bike. It's another to purchase one. While it might be possible, it might also mean sacrificing something else. Most of us make those kinds of decisions in our personal lives every day.

I decided long ago that I don't need an expensive bike.

Are we willing to make a similar choice to improve education? If so, what do we do without? Economic development is important, and it is tied to our education system. Like education, we talk about how vital it is -- and then we pour millions into tourism, which has fueled the county's costly growth. That growth impacts our pocketbook, environment and schools. Everyone wants those things secured, along with adequate police and fire protection.

It's a long list, but if education is the top priority, parents would be more involved in their kids' schooling. In an ideal world, before- and after-school programs would be free and open to everyone. Our diverse population of kids would learn to respect and to communicate with each other. We would measure our schools by a fair set of standards that ensure the quality of education offered to all our students. We would admit that not everyone is going to go to college. And we would tell those kids that technical and vocational training is going to be much more helpful to them in the long run. There is nothing wrong with being a a dental assistant or machinist.

It's not too late to jumpstart your brain about all this. Watching the debate, which will air on government access channels in St. Cloud and Kissimmee, is a good place to start. Those who get Access Osceola can check it out at 9 a.m., 3 and 8 p.m. Aug. 17, 24 and 31, and 9 and 11:30 p.m. Aug. 21 and 28. The debate will be broadcast on the St. Cloud channel at 4 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. Aug. 20.